Chuck Hayes
Charles Edward Hayes, Jr. (b. June 11, 1983) is a power forward with the Houston Rockets. Latest News *Hayes played center in place of injured Yao Ming on November 19th's game, getting two points and five rebounds in 23 minutes. "http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4023/news", ESPN.com, November 20, 2008. __TOC__ High school As a junior attending Modesto Christian High School in California, Hayes was named all-league and all-state. That year he grabbed 31 rebounds in the 2000 Northern California championship game - a California High School record for all divisions. As a senior, Hayes was named "Mr. Basketball" in California and a Parade All-American while leading his team to the state championship game. Hayes was also named an all-state football player as a sophomore. College career Hayes arrived at Kentucky in 2001 after choosing UK over Kansas in a close recruiting battle. Hayes was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2002. During the next three years, he contributed to a resurgence in Kentucky basketball along with Keith Bogans, Gerald Fitch, Erik Daniels, and Kelenna Azubuike. Over Hayes' sophomore, junior and senior seasons, Kentucky accumulated a record of 87-15 (.853), and earned final AP rankings of 1st, 2nd and 7th respectively. During Hayes' senior season, the Kentucky athletics department promoted him as an All-American candidate, using the slogan "All He Does Is Win". Although Hayes was named the 2004 SEC defensive player of the year, he did not earn All-America honors. Hayes finished his career at Kentucky ranking 7th all time in rebounds, 8th in steals, 9th in blocked shots, and 35th in points. He also tied Alex Groza for the Kentucky record for most consecutive starts with 110. USA Basketball Chuck Hayes was a member of the 2003 USA men's Pan American Games team. He started all five games and led the team with 7.6 rebounds per game. The team finished in fourth place with a 2-3 record playing against internationally experienced teams from North and South America. Professional career NBA Development League Despite earning MVP honors at the Portsmouth pre-draft camp, Hayes was not selected in the 2005 NBA Draft but was signed by the Houston Rockets prior to the 2005-06 season. Hayes played in several preseason games before being cut. Hayes was then selected sixth in the 2005 NBA Development League Draft by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. Hayes led the NBA D-League in rebounding with 12.2 a game in his tenure with the Thunderbirds. NBA Due to a rash of injuries on the Houston roster, Hayes was signed to a 10-day contract on January 18, 2006. In his second game in a Rockets uniform, Hayes posted a double-double, collecting 12 points and 13 rebounds in a 109-108 win over the Chicago Bulls on January 20. On January 28, the Rockets announced they were signing Hayes for the rest of the season. Hayes earned a total of $231,390 for the season between the 10-day contract and the contract for the remainder of the year. He was later joined by former Kentucky teammate Keith Bogans, who was traded by the Charlotte Bobcats for Lonny Baxter on February 9. The departure of Baxter created room in the depth chart for Hayes. Hayes was also temporarily joined by another Kentucky teammate, Gerald Fitch, who was traded to the Rockets on February 23rd but was assigned to the D-League on March 7, 2006. Hayes was quietly productive for the Rockets in his first season. He appeared in all 40 games after joining on the team and averaged 13.4 minutes per game. Hayes was one of the most efficient defensive players in the league, ranking 3rd among rookies in rebounds per 48 minutes (16.1) and 14th in steals per 48 minutes (2.33). He also had an FG% of 52.6%, good for 11th highest in the league among players with at least 100 field goals attempted. On June 13, 2006 the Rockets decided to pick up the option year on his contract (which was worth $664,209), extending his stay with the Rockets through the 2006-2007 season. His first official NBA start occurred November 4, 2006 against the Dallas Mavericks. Playing 17 minutes, he scored 2 points, had 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 6 personal fouls. As a starter in most of the Rockets' games for the 2006-2007 season, Hayes was a significant contributor. The scope of his role on the team was limited to rebounding, defense, and acting as a decoy or setting screens on offense. The ball was very rarely in his hands on offense. Nevertheless, he has received praise from his coaches and has appeared on the leaderboard for several statistics in the NBA. He finished his second season in the NBA 12th in rebounds per minute and 34th in rebounds per game. Several factors hindered Hayes' performance during the season. He hyperextended his left knee and was sidelined for two weeks. His stamina and durability over an 82 game season has been an issue as well; Hayes' style of play is more physically demanding than most. Finally, Hayes has become somewhat notorious for getting in foul trouble. He ended his second season with the 3rd most fouls per game and 7th most fouls per minute in the NBA. Although not one of the league's premier players, in 2006 Hayes signed a shoe endorsement deal with Chinese athletic apparel company Li Ning. The deal was valued at $5 million. On July 31st, 2007 Hayes signed an incentive-laden contract with the Houston Rockets valued at $8 million over 4 years. Skills Chuck Hayes is listed as a forward in the NBA. Although his skills and style are most suited for interior play, he nearly always has to overcome a significant height disadvantage as he stands only 6'6. Hayes does this with his strength, positioning, and determination. This allows him to rebound and score inside, even in the NBA where he is regularly matched up against players who are taller and/or more athletic. Hayes is known to have a peculiar form on his shot. He delays the release on his jumpshots and free throw attempts, which is referred to as having a "hitch". This could be seen most recently in a game against the Utah Jazz in the 2007 NBA Playoffs, where his unorthodox release drew lane violations from three players on a free throw attempt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLx-Ei2Pk_Y Hayes has attributed his "nose for the ball" in part to his father's influence. Personal On April 21, 2007, Hayes became a father. His girlfriend, Nicole Anderson, gave birth to a baby boy, Dorian Titus Hayes. This day later marked Hayes' first career playoff start and first playoff victory as well. Hayes has professed an interest for singing, acting, and poker. External links *NBA.com Profile - Chuck Hayes *ClutchFans.net Chuck Hayes Profile - Houston Rocket Fan Site * *Career UK Stats *ChuckHayesFans.net - Chuck Hayes Fan site Sources Category:Houston Rockets 2008 players Category:Houston Rockets 2007 players Category:Houston Rockets 2006 players Category:Houston Rockets players